Jamestown

Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the Americas, founded in 1607. From 1607 to 1699, it served as the capital of the Colony of Virginia, having been established by Captain John Smith and settlers from England; it was named for King James I of England. It was briefly abandoned in 1610 during the "starving time", but trade with the local Native Americans led to the English surviving on corn. In 1608, the English brought eight Polish and German colonists to build a small glass factory, and the first 20 African-American slaves arrived in 1619. In 1676, Jamestown was deliberately burned during Bacon's Rebellion, though it was quickly rebuilt. In 1699, the capital was moved to Williamsburg, and Jamestown was again abandoned, becoming an archaeological site.